Archive for the ‘Gualandi’ Category

Although Domenico Valentino prides itself on a portfolio full of artisinal wines from producers dedicated to a natural wine-making process and full enological expression, it is hard to argue with an official stamp of certification.

In our portfolio we have three wonderful producers, who, by various motivations and methods, achieve ICEA organic certification. The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of the 1990 Farm Bill established a method of ensuring uniform standards for the production and handling of foods labeled as “organic.” The National Organic Program (NOP) certifies that products labeled Organic meet USDA standards, and also accredits the 40 foreign Accredited Certifying Agents, including ICEA (Instituto per la Certificazione Etica ed Ambientale), that uphold these standards abroad.

Cascina Corte (Piemonte)
Sandro Barossi and Amalia Battaglia have spent the last six years rehabilitating the centuries-old Casa Corte and its adjoining vineyards atop Dogliani’s famed San Luigi Hill. They have coaxed their 60-year-old Dolcetto vines into successfully accepting sustainable viticultural methods.

Dolcetto di Dogliani 2006
Dolcetto 750ml

Vigna Pirochetta 2005Dolcetto 750ml

Guido Gualandi (Toscana)
Dedicated to hand-making natural wines in the methods of ages past, Guido Gualandi meets ICEA viticultural standards and carries this philosophy into vinification. The winery and residence use 90% renewable energy sources, with a goal of reaching 100% in the next 2 years. Gualandi also cultivates antique varieties such as Fogliatonda and Pugnitello, as well as older varieties of Sangiovese, such as Abrusco. The materials used in the winemaking are the same as those used one hundred years ago, if not five hundred. The fermentation takes place in semi-conical vats or in Italian-style Slavonian oak and chestnut barrels. The pressing takes place with the use of a single hand press.

ERA (Sicilia)
ERA brings together talented Italian enologist Carlo Volpi, Bottle Green (an importer and agent for organic wines in the UK), and Sicilian organic viticulture specialists certified under EEC law. The first vintage was produced in 2001, after much research, careful selection and tending of vineyards in Marche, Abruzzo and Sicily. ERA, meaning “as it was”, is a return to the past when the use of chemicals and fertilizers did not exist and producers had more respect for nature and biodynamic processes. The juice is brought to the Volpi Cantina in Piedmont where Carlo Volpi oversees vinification and bottling in his state of the art cellars.

Four diverse rosé wines from four unique producers hailing from four different regions of Italy

August, with its sunny days and sultry evenings, is the best time of year for dining al fresco. And when temperatures are high, there’s no greater accompaniment to a meal than a chilled glass of rosato. Though often wrongly overlooked by some wine enthusiasts, Italian rosé is certainly enjoying an increase in popularity stateside this summer.

This week we are pleased to feature four of our finest rosé wines, from four unique wineries. Though Italy’s climate and attitudes towards food vary tremendously up and down the country, each region still produces its rosé, or “rosato” as it is known by Italians. In fact our four featured wines originate from four wildly different regions: Alto-Adige, Tuscany, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna.

Lagrein Rosato Nives 2007 Castel Sallegg
Grown on the slopes of Lake Caldaro in the German-speaking region of Alto-Adige, the tannic Lagrein grapes give this wine complexity and structure while the enologist at Castel Sallegg ensures that the wine expresses the pillars of rosato: refreshing, easy-to-drink and adaptable. Named Nives (a reference to the region’s snowcapped mountains) this refreshing screw-capped Lagrein Rosato is the perfect outdoor picnic wine for summer.

Vino Rosato 2007 Guido Gualandi
Archeologist, artist, writer and wine producer: Tuscan renaissance man Guido Gualandi produces all-organic and sustainable wines in the Chianti Classico subzone of Montespertoli. Full bodied and smooth, this 100% Sangiovese rosato owes its character to the ripeness of the fruit before harvest and Guido’s innovative practice of ageing the wine for six months in old acacia and chestnut barrels.

Canavese Rosato Rubiconda 2007 OrsolaniPiemontese producer Gianluigi Orsolani’s family name may be synonymous with local white variety Erbaluce, but this year the fourth-generation producer has broken with tradition. Using Nebbiolo, Barbera and Uva Rara, Orsolani has created a small production of Canavese Rosato named “Rubiconda“. This fresh, fragrant and exquisitely dry rosato, a blend with enough structure to stand up to summer favorites like ribs and barbecue grilled chicken.

Lambrusco Rosé 2007 Lini 910
In the Lambrusco heartland of Emilia Romagna, Lini has been making wine for nearly 100 years. While most of Lini’s Lambruscos are made with the Lambrusco Salamino grape, Lambrusco Rosé is made with Lambrusco Sorbara. The light skins of this clone give the wine its gorgeous rosy hue. Lini Lambrusco Rosé is one of our favorite picnic wines: gently sparkling and low in alcohol, it’s the ideal wine to take to the park on a hot summer day and pairs well with anything grilled — from vegetables and seafood to burgers.

The wines featured above will be available for tasting by appointment next week. If you are interested in tasting the featured wines and wish to arrange a meeting, please email info@domenicovalentino.com or call 718-902-1140.

Great selections for summer from Count Kuenburg and the team at Castel Sallegg. Grapes are sourced from some of the finest sites on the slopes above Lago di Caldaro.

2007 Lagrein Rosé Screwcap

2007 Pinot Bianco Screwcap & Cork

2007 Schiava Bischofsleiten

2007 Moscato Giallo

Gualandi

Natural wines from a Renaissance Man!

Archaeologist, painter, musician and wine-maker, Guido Gualandi is a true Renaissance Man, and one of the most interesting producers to emerge from the Montespertoli subzone of Chianti in recent memory. All of Guido’s wines are made using 100% natural vinification: no herbicides or pesticides are used in the vineyard, only organic fertilizers are used.

2007 Rosato

2006 Galante

2005 Cavalleresco

2005 Gualandus

Conti Sertoli Salis

Prime sites help produce great wine!That the Salis family first bottled wine in 1869 tells us they had an unusual commitment to quality and an unwavering confidence in the potential of their land. Producers at the time seldom chose to meet the expense of such a labor-intensive process, prefering instead to store and ship wine in cask or demijohn. Today Conti Sertoli Salis continues to make superb examples of Valtellina Sforzato and Superiore using the local Chiavennasca, a type of Nebbiolo that has been cultivated in sub-Alpine Lombardia for generations.

2006 Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo vinified white)

2004 Valtellina Superiore Sassella

2003 Valtellina Sforzato Canua

Orsolani

Canavese Rosato in limited supply!

Gian Luigi is the fourth-generation Orsolani to commit to Erbaluce, the Piedmontese variety known for its luscious acidity and grass-and-melon perfume. The family is also one of only three commercial producers of the rare Nebbiolo-based Carema, a wine named for a lovely sub-Alpine village where the vines are grown a pergola on terraces carved into a steep south-facing slope. This year, in addition to his usual line-up, Orsolani has produced a limited quantity of Canavese Rosato.